Meta Data Scientist Interview Questions

Meta’s Data Scientist interviews target candidates who can turn large-scale product data into clear, measurable product decisions. Expect a blend of technical and product-focused assessments: Meta Data Scientist interview questions often probe SQL and Python data manipulation, statistical inference and A/B test design, metric definition and instrumentation, and product sense around engagement and growth. Distinctive to Meta is the emphasis on scale, experimentation, and the ability to communicate actionable insights to engineers and product managers; interviewers typically evaluate both analytical rigor and storytelling clarity. The process usually begins with a recruiter screen, moves to one or more technical screens (coding/SQL plus a product or metrics case), and culminates in a loop of interviews that combine analytics, research-design, and behavioral rounds. For effective interview preparation, prioritize timed practice on data manipulation problems, refresh hypothesis testing and power intuition, rehearse product-metric case studies aloud, and craft concise STAR stories that emphasize measurable impact. Complement technical practice with mock interviews and clear explanations of tradeoffs so you can translate analyses into product recommendations under time pressure.

617 Questions 1 Company07.06.2026
Showing 20 results
Role
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Model comment count distribution and validate assumptions

You observe daily comment counts per post on a large social app are highly skewed with many zeros. a) Choose an appropriate discrete model among Poiss...

Statistics & Math
4
0
68 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Meta logo
Meta
Hard
Data Scientist Locked

Control error under multiple testing

This question evaluates a candidate's understanding of multiple hypothesis testing, sequential monitoring, and error-rate control—specifically familyw...

Statistics & Math
2
0
34 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Diagnose a non-significant experiment outcome

A/B Test Interpretation, Power, and Decision-Making Under Asymmetric Loss Context You ran a two-sample A/B test on a primary mean metric (two-sided t-...

Statistics & Math
7
0
41 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute cohort GMV and payer rate with edge cases

You are given the following schema (timestamps are UTC): users(user_id INT, country STRING, created_at TIMESTAMP) events(user_id INT, event_ts TIMESTA...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
10
0
82 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Estimate shuttle impact with robust causal design

You have individual-level data from 1,000+ sites, several hundred of which adopt a free employee shuttle at different times. Design a causal analysis ...

Analytics & Experimentation
2
0
36 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Resolve a team conflict decisively

Tell me about a time you resolved a significant conflict within a team under time pressure. Include: 1) the root causes (interests, incentives, commun...

Behavioral & Leadership
3
0
27 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute video-call SQL metrics with edge cases

Use 'today' = 2025-09-01. Assume UTC timestamps. Write SQL to answer both parts below and call out how your queries handle edge cases (duplicates, fai...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
29
1
242 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Compute unconnected 60s posts and reactions averages

Given these tables and sample data, write SQL that answers both tasks below. Use today = 2025-09-01 and interpret "last/past 7 days" as the inclusive ...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
11 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for visibility, calls, and cohort activity

You have the following schema and toy data. Assume "today" = 2025-09-01. users(user_id INT, signup_date DATE) Sample: user_id | signup_date -------...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
1
0
8 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Design a clustered notification experiment with guardrails

You work on a mobile travel app (think TripAdvisor-like) that will test a new push-notification policy recommending nearby attractions. Design a rigor...

Analytics & Experimentation
2
0
36 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Characterize metric distribution and quantiles

KPI Analysis: Per-Video Watch Time (seconds) You are evaluating a pilot dataset for the KPI "per‑video watch time" (in seconds). The dataset (n = 20) ...

Statistics & Math
1
0
36 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Hard
Data Scientist Locked

Choose KPIs for short-video recommendations

This question evaluates a data scientist's ability to define precise product metrics, set guardrails, design and power A/B tests, and apply weighted d...

Analytics & Experimentation
3
0
25 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Write SQL for retention, conversion, and churn

Assume today is 2025-09-01 (use the user's local day boundaries based on users.tz). Given the following schema and sample data, write SQL to: (a) Comp...

Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
12
0
127 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Reflect on feedback and metric trade-offs

Describe a time you chose a simpler metric under tight time constraints and later received critical feedback that it was oversimplified (e.g., from a ...

Behavioral & Leadership
4
0
36 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Define composite success for search and test it

A new search feature is evaluated with two binary labels per query: relevancy=1/0 and accuracy=1/0. 1) Propose a composite success metric that uses th...

Analytics & Experimentation
2
0
30 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Meta logo
Meta
Hard
Data Scientist

Diagnose rising account switching and falling actives

Diagnostic Plan: Account Switching Up, Active Users Down Context You observed a sudden pattern: the number of users switching accounts increased, whil...

Analytics & Experimentation
3
0
33 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Meta logo
Meta
Hard
Data Scientist

Persuade engineers to launch pinned-unread chats

Pitch: Pinning Conversations for High-Unread Users Context You are proposing a feature that pins a small set of conversations to the top of the inbox ...

Behavioral & Leadership
4
0
49 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Meta logo
Meta
Hard
Data Scientist

Measure network effects and spillovers via experiments

Experiment design under network interference: direct and indirect effects Context You are evaluating a new social feature that can produce network spi...

Analytics & Experimentation
2
0
35 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
Meta logo
Meta
Hard
Data Scientist

Clarify scope and align to mission

Clarify and Align: New Google Maps Feature to Boost Group Page Engagement Context (Completed) Assume "Group pages" are shared spaces in Google Maps wh...

Behavioral & Leadership
6
0
48 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Meta
Medium
Data Scientist

Select and prioritize metrics with guardrails

Design a Metrics Framework for a New Groups Stories Feature Context You are evaluating a new Groups Stories feature whose goal is to increase meaningf...

Analytics & Experimentation
1
0
29 people solved
Oct 13, 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions

How difficult are Meta Data Scientist interview questions?
Meta Data Scientist interviews are typically challenging because they test both depth and breadth: technical fluency, statistical thinking, product intuition, and clear communication. Expect medium-to-hard SQL and coding problems alongside statistics and experiment-design questions that probe conceptual understanding rather than rote formulas. Senior roles add system and measurement tradeoff discussions and leadership expectations. Interviewers evaluate correctness, clarity, assumptions, and business impact, so partial solutions can still score well if you surface limitations and next steps. Preparation should emphasize translating technical results into actionable product recommendations as much as solving the raw problem.
What is the typical Meta Data Scientist interview process and where does each topic show up?
The Meta Data Scientist process usually begins with a recruiter screen, moves to a technical screening (live SQL/Python or a take-home), and then a multi-round onsite or virtual loop of four to five interviews. SQL and data-manipulation tasks appear in screening and the analytics rounds. Experiment design and statistics show up in research-design and metrics interviews. Product-sense rounds evaluate metric selection, tradeoffs, and impact. Behavioral rounds probe collaboration, ownership, and influence. Coding or algorithmic questions may appear depending on role level, and senior interviews emphasize scaling, measurement validity, and cross-functional leadership.
How long should I prepare for Meta Data Scientist interviews and what should a timeline look like?
A focused preparation timeline of six to eight weeks often works well for experienced candidates, with longer ramps for those switching fields. Start by solidifying core SQL and Python skills and practicing timed problems, then layer in statistics, experiment design, and product-case practice. Midway, incorporate mock interviews and full-length loops to practice pacing, storytelling, and translating analyses to impact. In the final weeks, refine STAR behavioral stories, review past projects with clear metrics, and run targeted drills on weak spots. Regular feedback and simulated interview conditions dramatically improve interview-day composure and clarity.
What are the key subtopics I must master for a Meta Data Scientist role?
You should be fluent in SQL fundamentals—joins, aggregations, window functions, CTEs, NULL behaviour, and the difference between WHERE and HAVING—along with performance-aware query design. In statistics, master hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, power, bias versus variance, and common pitfalls in A/B testing and metric validity. Analytical skills include metric design, segmentation, funnel analysis, and root-cause diagnosis. Practical Python for data manipulation, clear code and algorithmic complexity intuition are useful. For senior roles, add measurement platforms, data pipelines, causal inference principles, and communicating tradeoffs to product and engineering partners.
What standout tips and common pitfalls should I know for Meta interviews?
Standout performance combines rigorous answers with business context: always state assumptions, define the metric you would optimize, and conclude with clear product recommendations. Verbally outline your plan before coding or analysis and validate edge cases and data limitations. Use concise STAR stories that quantify impact. Common pitfalls include failing to tie analysis back to user or business outcomes, ignoring confounders in experiments, overengineering solutions when a simple metric change suffices, and poor communication under time pressure. Practicing paced mock interviews and seeking targeted feedback on clarity and tradeoff discussion will mitigate these risks.

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